Phil spent over 40 years working for the National Park Service. In 2013, Phil retired after serving as superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway since 2005. Since then, he has served on the Executive Council for the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and is currently chair of that organization. Phil began his National Park Service career in 1972 at Kings Mountain National Military Park where he served as a seasonal park ranger and later as a permanent administrative employee. He was selected as an intake trainee in 1977 and worked in the National Capital Region. Upon completion of his intake assignment, Phil served as administrative officer of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Shenandoah National Park and Yosemite National Park. In 1991, he was selected to be the associate regional director, administration, for the southwest region. In 1994, Phil moved to Great Smoky Mountains National Park where he served as deputy superintendent until 2005. For three of those eleven years, Phil served as acting superintendent. He completed the department’s Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program and received the department’s Superior Service Award. Phil attended Clemson University and is married to Becky Nichols. They reside in Sevierville, Tennessee.